1. Professor Jane Seale, Open University, UK
What individual and institutional practices can support the transition of disabled students to and from PCE and from PCE to employment? -and what role does technology play
Good morning everyone.
My name is Jane Seale. I am a professor of education at the Open University in the UK and leader of the project called ED-ICT that has organised this two-day event.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this symposium being hosted by Bjorn Fisseler and Fernuniversitat.
The focus of this symposium is transition, the practices that might support the transition of disabled students to and from post compulsory education.
Before I introduce you to the aims of the symposium I wanted to explain why I am speaking in German.
When I was a little girl I lived in Germany for about five years and this began my love affair with the German language. When I returned to the UK I studied German at school but sadly I forgot it all when I left.
This is the first time I have been in Germany since I left in the 1970’s and I wanted to take the chance to practice my German. So I hope you forgive me if my pronunciation is awful, but hopefully you will be able to understand me!
Professor Jane Seale, Open University, UK

2. The Ed-ICT International Network
To explore the role that ICTs play or could play in creating barriers and mitigating disadvantages that students with disabilities in post-secondary education (PSE) experience
To examine how practices of educators and other stakeholders can craft successful and supportive relationships between learners with disabilities and ICT
The ED-ICT International network consist of partners from five countries, Germany, UK, Israel, Canada and the US. You will get to hear from the partners later on today in the International Panel.
The aim of the Ed-ICT International network is to explore the role that ICTs—including computers, mobile devices, assistive technologies, online learning, and social networking sites—play or could play in creating barriers and mitigating disadvantages that students with disabilities in post-compulsory education experience both generally and specifically in relation to social, emotional and educational outcomes. It is also examining how practices of educators and other stakeholders can craft successful and supportive relationships between learners with disabilities and ICT.
We are doing this by organising a symposium in each of the 5 partner countries. For each symposium we invite a range of stakeholders including: students with disabilities; faculty and professionals responsible for faculty/staff development; professionals responsible for support services for students with disabilities; campus information technology staff; digital textbook and resource publishers; and senior institutional administrators.

3. The Ed-ICT International Network
Synthesise and compare the available research evidence across the five countries regarding the relationship between students with disabilities, ICTs and PSE
Construct theoretical explanations for why ICTs have not achieved the dramatic reductions in discrimination, disadvantage and exclusion hoped for
Provide new perspectives about potential future solutions regarding how PSE institutions can better use ICTs to remove the ongoing problems of disadvantage and exclusion of students with disabilities.
The ED-ICT Network has three objectives:
Firstly to Synthesise and compare the available research evidence across the five countries regarding the relationship between students with disabilities, ICTs and post-compulsory education;
Secondly to Construct theoretical explanations for why ICTs have not achieved the dramatic reductions in discrimination, disadvantage and exclusion hoped for when equality and discrimination related laws were published across the five countries;
Thirdly to Provide new perspectives about potential future solutions regarding how post-compulsory education institutions can better use ICTs to remove the ongoing problems of disadvantage and exclusion of students with disabilities.
In order to meet these objectives we have been focusing on five main themes:
Effective models and frameworks, New perspectives, New designs, Effective practices and New solutions.

4. Transition and technology
How can technology help disabled students with transitions in the education system?
What are typical problems that disabled students experience with technology and the accessibility of technology during transitions?
Who are the different stakeholders involved, and do we need other or different stakeholders?
What role does technology play in the different settings of the education system?
So the focus of this symposium in Hagan is transition. The kinds of questions we are interested in exploring with you over two days are:
How can technology help disabled students with transitions in the education system?
What are typical problems that disabled students experience with technology and the accessibility of technology during transitions?
Who are the different stakeholders involved, and do we need other or different stakeholders?
What role does technology play in the different settings of the education system?

5. A critical approach: The ED-ICT way
We need to question those things that are ‘taken-for granted’ as truth or fact in the field in order to give voice to new possibilities and future directions in both our research and our practice.
In considering the potential answers to these questions I want to encourage you to adopt a critical approach.
By this I mean that we need to question those things that are ‘taken-for granted’ as truth or fact in the field in order to give voice to new possibilities and future directions in both our research and our practice.
OK, now it is time for me to hand over to our hosts. I hope you enjoy the two days, but also that it challenges you in some way.